If YOU won the lottery......

YOU JUST WON THE MEGA MILLIONS!!

Boy, wouldn't you like to hear those words! With the Mega Millions jackpot at $500 million, I couldn't help but do a little "day dreaming" this morning as I schlepped my 8 year old to school with my pajama pants and uggs. On our usual 7:30am commute to her school, I saw her gazing out the window, and I wondered what were the thoughts roaming around in her head.

What were the ones in mine? $$$$ dollar signs. I kept thinking about  HOW I would spend half a billion dollars if I got the winning ticket which is going to be drawn this Friday, March 30th, 2012. Hmm.... I start off buying a beach house in Malibu, no Hawaii, no Costa Rica... I could probably afford one in all three locations.

"Mom! the Light just turned Green!" My daughter yelled from the backseat, ohh yeah I forgot I'm still driving.  Now, back to daydreaming. What would I do with so much money? After buying myself a beach house, setting up my parents in a great house with no financial worries, making sure I put A LOT of money away for my daughter's college fund, I still have millions and millions more to spend!

Vacations to exotic countries done. Personal trainer, done! Shopping spree, done! What else?....
Well, I don't think I would give up working. I love what I do, which is basically freelance writing and reporting for various outlets where I've meet, been to, and seen things only a nosy prying Journalist can experience. Yesterday I did a story on an organization called "Deaf Latinos" which caters to Latino families who have a young child recently diagnosed with hearing loss. I got to meet the amazing founder of the organization and her three kids, who couldn't talk to me but signed with sass and spirit!

My next assignment is to interview the Latino Janitor who invented the "Flaming Hot  Cheetos!"  My hero! Whoo hoo! I've been to Egypt on assignment and got a VIP tour of the Pyramids. I've interviewed Ex-President Clinton and got to ask him what the biggest regret of his presidency was. I got to sit down with the ladies of "The View" for two days and talk to my idol Barbara Walters! I got at stuntman to set my arm on fire, all during "work" assignments, and that's just scratching the surface. The beauty of my job is, whatever I want to do, whoever I want to met, whatever question I want to ask, I try to find a story around it and make it happen. Thats something half a billion dollars can't buy!

As the wise Confucius once said "choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life." 
Confucius was right-but I'm still buying a lottery ticket!!

What would you do if you won the lottery? Do you love what you do? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW!

I got HITCHED!! My Wedding story...

Los Angeles is definitely a challenging city to date. Especially if your in your 30's, still live at home, and have a young daughter. So one crisp night in 2009 when my best friend Sky and her niece Ashley walked into "Jones" (pizza pub) in Hollywood, I never imagined I would meet "The One."

It was early in LA standards (around 8pm) and I ordered a beer as I listened to an old man read tarot cards and attempt to use his skills to impress us. Then I saw Jeff and his friend walk through the door and I whispered to Sky and Ashely, "he's cute!" They approached the bar but didn't even look at us. Bummer!

They ordered their drinks and proceeded to turn their backs to us. "I guess he's not interested," I told Sky.
Low and behold, Ashley played cupid, but instead of using a traditional bow and arrow, she used her fingers to pinch Jeff in the butt. He turned around, and Ashley pointed at me, "she did it." I turned beet red as I was extremely embarrassed. Jeff and I started talking and the rest is history. Im glad Ashley made the first move so to speak, as both Jeff and I are shy around new people and neither of us would have been brave enough to approach each other. Good work Cupid!

Disneyland!

Hawaii!

Three years, a trip to Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Maldives, Colorado, and Vegas later, Jeff invited me to yet another romantic stop: Malibu.

As we approached the restaurant where he made reservations he suddenly stopped the car on the side of the road. He has always loved the beach so, although I was itching for a proposal, I didn't want to jinx anything by making assumptions. As we walked towards the water on this dark, pleasant night, he went down on one knee and asked me to become his wife. I said yes.

Malibu Beach 

The Sunset Restaurant in Malibu

We went to dinner at The Sunset Restaurant in Malibu where he had reservations. I already felt like I was in a romantic movie when low-and behold, Pretty Woman herself (Julia Roberts) and her husband and three children walked in and sat at the table right next to us. As I observed her family dynamic I realized that family, your husband your kids, are the best thing life can give you. She's a mega superstar, but that night she was a wife, and a doting mother to her kids that kept getting out of their seats to sit on her lap and ask her a questions like "what kind of vegetable is this mommy?" I've seen her in interviews and I have even interviewed her myself, and I could tell that in this role she was the most herself. She often talks about her kids and husband in her interviews. And now, I was about to embark on a new adventure in my life, as a wife, and hopefully soon as a mother (again).

So now, the wedding. Who, what, where, when????

I love him. He loves me. We want to do this as soon as possible so I can move in,  lay down roots, and see if our DNA can combine to create another human being with a little bit of both of  our genetic makeup  (I don't like to play house if you want me, marry me.)

The L.A. court house it is. I brought a witness, he brought a witness. I pulled a dress from my closet that I had bought at Ross a few years ago (never imagining it would become my wedding dress!), and exchanged vows in front of a snappy Judge.

There, Im a wife! Im married to my best friend and the man I love... We do plan on doing a one-year-anniversary "re-newing" of our vows ceremony next year where we can invite friends and family, and hopefully celebrate other blessings to come....

That is my wedding story. It may not have been lavish, but it was the most romantic moment of my life, and in that day, it was only us that mattered.